A Moment for the Grief, Then we join the Fight

If you’re feeling a deep sense of political despair right now, you are not alone. The headlines can feel like a relentless assault: the rise of authoritarian rhetoric, the overturning of long-standing rights, and an electoral landscape that feels perpetually uncertain. It’s exhausting, and it’s okay to acknowledge that. This isn’t just political disagreement; for many, it feels like a fight for the very soul of our democracy against the creeping shadows of fascism.

In the face of this, the temptation to disengage is powerful. To turn away from the news, to mute the noise, to protect your peace. That urge is a natural response to overwhelm.

But we must remember: disengagement is exactly what authoritarianism feeds on. It thrives on apathy, on the feeling that the fight is already lost. The project of freedom has never been easy. It has always required ordinary people to do extraordinary things in its defense.

So, let’s grant ourselves a moment to feel the weight of it all. But then, we take a deep breath and recommit. We channel our frustration into phone banks, our anger into donations for critical races, and our fear into conversations with neighbors. We support local organizers, defend voting rights, and show up, again and again.

Hope is not a passive feeling; it is an active verb. It is the work we do, especially when it’s hardest. Our collective action is the only true antidote to despair. This isn’t about blind optimism; it’s about a stubborn, determined resolve. The path forward is built not by those who never felt doubt, but by those who felt it, and kept going anyway.

In solidarity,

Erin Sutka

President, McKinney Area Democratic Club